


Strawberry Cake

by SierraWinchester



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Its Reggie’s birthday, Mention of Ray, No Beta, and some normal chaotic boys, i die like these boys, mention of Carlos, mention of flynn, mention of rose, they crossed over, this is just sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:22:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29970459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SierraWinchester/pseuds/SierraWinchester
Summary: Julie celebrates Reggie’s birthday by making him a cake.
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters
Comments: 7
Kudos: 24





	1. Julie

It had been happening more and more lately. She’d hear a note of music and think they were there. A gust of wind would blow her hair from her face and she’d have the vivid memory of Luke’s hand caressing her cheek. Sometimes she’d blink and swear she could make out three shadows beside her own on the pavement. But she knew that couldn’t be. 

Julie sighed and she swallowed down the fresh wave of pain that these things always brought her. It was different than when she’d lost her mom. When her mom had died Julie had no idea ghosts were even in the realm of possibility. But when the boys crossed over... Well, that was a different story. 

Julie scrubbed at the counter, eyes glued to Carlos running around outside. He was having fun with his friends and she was inside waiting for the cake to finish in the oven. Ray was going to be home in time for dessert and Flynn was coming, too. It would be nice to celebrate, even if it hurt. 

It wasn’t the first celebration since the Orpheum and the boy’s crossover, but it would be one of the harder ones. The first gig Julie booked after had been hard, but she knew the boys would be proud and so would her mom. The record deal she had signed three months after the Orpheum had her crying for days, but she had creative control and half the first album was written. The world would know her boys’ names and they’d get their dream, even if it wasn’t in the way they’d planned—alive or dead. 

But this? Reggie’s birthday? That’s not easy. It’s the first of any of the boy’s birthdays since they left and Julie knows more will come, but as Dr. Turner always reminded her, firsts were harder. And, well, Reggie was her brother just as much as Carlos was. And maybe Carlos didn’t lose as much, but he and Reggie had been close. They’d been getting closer...and then..

Julie shook herself from the thoughts and turned, looking up like she always did when she talked to her family, her mom and her boys. “I never got to know your favorite cake flavor, Reg, but I hope you like strawberry. It’s all we had in the house and I’m going to decorate it for you.”

She sighed, glancing at the oven timer. The cake was nearly done. “You know, I’m sure if any of you were here right now you’d be laughing at me. I mean you guys can’t even eat cake!” She paused, frowning, “Couldn’t… but I guess technically you still can’t. Unless they’ve got magic cake up there.”

The smile returned as her eyes drifted back to the ceiling, “I’m sure you’d love magic cake. And magic pizza. You guys are probably having a blast up there, playing music and eating and pulling pranks on angels… I just wish I could see you guys do it.”

Julie smiled as the oven dinged. She paused to take it out and set it on the stove to cool, tossing the oven more to the side. She smiled back at the ceiling, “Maybe someday I’ll get to join you. Just make sure you save a song for me, okay?” 

Julie grinned and then she went outside to wrangle Carlos to come wash up. The pizza she’d ordered would arrive soon and then he could help her decorate. 

It was only after dinner that Julie returned to the cake, Carlos washing up his half of the dishes. She frowned at the cake, the small chunk taken from the side and the messy dollop of frosting already plopped on too. It wasn’t even the color she had bought? It wasn’t the light pink she had bought, a subtle homage to Alex as she had two guitar and bass candies for the top. It was a vibrant red and upon closer inspection there was a word smudged into it, looking hesitant and annoyed. ‘Sorry.’ 

The laugh bubbled up alongside the tears as Julie stared at the unsure letters in the icing. Her boys….


	2. The Boys

“She’s so sad, ‘Lex!” Luke whined and Reggie was standing beside Julie, watching Carlos and having a one sided conversation as she scrubbed at the already clean counter. 

“There’s nothing we can do about it, Luke. We really need to just let her move on. She needs to grieve and then move on.”

Luke groaned, flopping back on to the table, arms splayed out. “She needs us, man!”

Reggie turned back to the conversation his band mates were having, “Uh, actually, she doesn’t? She sort got an entire record deal without us, Luke. I think she’s doing pretty well.”

Luke pouted at that, watching as Julie turned to look to the ceiling. He smirked a bit, humor returning. “You know, we really should just like plaster posters of ourselves up there. Then at least she’d have something to look at.”

Alex snorted, but they all listened to Julie’s soft words. “I never got to know your favorite cake flavor, Reg, but I hope you like strawberry. It’s all we had in the house and I’m going to decorate it for you.”

The bassist whined, pouting at Julie, “I hate strawberry. Next time I’m going to leave a note that says to make me chocolate.”

Luke laughed, “Dude, you can’t even eat it.”

“So not the point, Lucas!” Reggie argued, sticking his tongue out, but Alex hushed them to hear Julie’s next words. 

You know, I’m sure if any of you were here right now you’d be laughing at me. I mean you guys can’t even eat cake!” She paused, frowning, “Couldn’t… but I guess technically you still can’t. Unless they’ve got magic cake up there.”

“They’ve got all sorts of stuff up there, Jules! The cake isn’t as good as yours, though.”

“You’ve never even had her cake, Reggie. And you don’t like strawberry.” Alex reminded, exasperated as the bassist smiled at the girl who didn’t know they were there. 

“I know it’s better because Julie made it!” He argued, arms folded over his chest. Luke nodded, lips pursed, because of course he’d agree with Reggie. It was Julie. Everything she did was perfect. 

“I’m sure you’d love magic cake. And magic pizza. You guys are probably having a blast up there, playing music and eating and pulling pranks on angels… I just wish I could see you guys do it.”

The sad smile on her face broke all of the laughter, weighing each boy down with heaviness. “Julie…” Luke whispered, reaching out, but Alex caught his hand, giving a subtle shake of his head. 

“You gotta stop…. She keeps noticing..” Alex reminds gently. They’d all see it. Luke reached out, Julie seemed to somehow sense their presence, and they watch her crumble every time they don’t magically appear. 

Luke shrugged off Alex’s hand, shoving his hands under his arms to keep them in check, but both his band mates can see the pain in his eyes. They watched Julie pull the cake from the oven, setting it to cool, before she smiled back at the ceiling again.

“Maybe someday I’ll get to join you. Just make sure you save a song for me, okay?” 

“Promise.” Reggie swore, eyes sad as they trailed Julie out of the house. 

“Just not too soon.” Alex added. They didn’t need anymore dead teenagers. He sighed once she was out the door, “We should head back. They always know where we go. It won’t be long before someone comes looking.”

“Wait.” Luke called and he reached over to the too hot cake, tearing a chunk with his fingers. Immediately he dropped it. “Ow! Hot!”

Facepalming Alex misses Reggie throw himself forward, but he doesn’t miss Reggie’s excited shout. “Wait!” But it’s too late. There’s food dye—and where did he even find that so fast??— in the icing and Reggie was using his fingers to stir it in. Soon enough it’s a vibrant red, staining Reggie’s fingers and the bowl, but he’s glopping some on to the cake anyway. 

“Guys…” Alex tries again, but he’s ignored as Luke cleans the cake crumbs from the floor and Reggie swirls the icing into a sort of curve pattern. 

Giving in, because he can’t argue with these boys and, well, he loves Julie, too, Alex sighs and steps up beside Reggie. Uncomfortably he dips the tip of his finger into the mess Reggie created on the cake and swipes in some letters, small, but obvious. 

“Sorry? Sorry for what, Alex?” Reggie asked, pouting at the blond. 

“Sorry that I have to deal with you idiots alone again.” He joked and grabbed both boys by the shoulders, “Now let’s get out of here before Rose comes down here and kicks us out of her house.” And they poor out, Reggie’s fingers leaving sticky trails on his chin as he licks them clean. They’ll be back in a week or two to check in and Alex is sure it’ll be just as chaotic. But he’s glad. He’s not sure any of them would survive without being able to visit. He just hopes Julie gets some comfort from their little messages and they don’t make it worse.


End file.
